Lineup shuffless shake curling world as trials loom

The so-called free agency period at the start of an Olympic quadrennial is typically the high-water mark for curling team adjustments and player movement.

Surprise announcements in recent days and speculation on what's to come have created a Roaring Game version of a midquad trade deadline.

Teams want to strike before it's too late so they can prepare for the final 18-month push to the Canadian Curling Trials.

With some big names on the move and a couple of curling legends calling it quits to boot, it has been a week to remember in the sport.

“Curling fans are getting their fair share of drama and news and that's good,” veteran skip Brad Jacobs said.

Jacobs was right in the middle of the news cycle as he left Reid Carruthers side to join Brendan Bottcher's previous team. His new teammates — Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant and Ben Hebert — had delivered a stunner with word they were making a change at skip.

Bottcher was out and instantly became a top free agent. The Jacobs jump was finalized while Carruthers was left to mull options with his front end.

“I just didn't see another opportunity like this coming my way,” Jacobs said. “To me, it was an opportunity that I couldn't refuse.

“I think what I like about it the most is it's going to be a difficult challenge for me and I welcome that very much.”

On the retirement front, Jennifer Jones played her last game a week ago at the Players' Championship in Toronto. Considered by many to be the greatest women's skip of all time, she announced plans last February to leave the team game at the end of the season.

Four-time world men's champion Glenn Howard, who has battled knee problems in recent years, announced his retirement this week, ending a career that lasted more than 40 years.

There have been many other changes in recent days across the country. After Karsten Sturmay's team disbanded, Kyle Doering — who was a fifth for Brad Gushue's team at the recent world championship — joined Aaron Sluchinski's rink.

John Epping will skip a new team that includes Jacob and Tanner Horgan.

And Kate Cameron's vice Meghan Walter is stepping away to concentrate on her studies.

The Canadian Curling Trials are set for late November 2025 in Halifax. The winners will represent Canada at the 2026 Milan Olympics.

Bottcher, meanwhile, said via email that he had nothing to add to his statement from this week when he wished his former teammates well and said he was excited about the “next iteration of Team Bottcher.”

Bottcher was 53-21 on the season but didn't win any major titles.

“For what we wanted to do with Team Bottcher, we didn't achieve what we set out to do in terms of winning big events,” team coach Paul Webster said from Calgary.